Oral Answers to Questions

Daniel Zeichner Excerpts

Tuesday 7th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Hammond]

The hon. Lady raises a very important matter. The Government recognise the concerns that have been expressed by NHS doctors, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is engaging in numerous conversations with the Chancellor. I am reluctant to give a running commentary on the nature of those internal discussions, but I can say that we hope to resolve the matter soon.

[Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)]

4. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the provision of NHS mental health services for university and college students.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Jackie Doyle-Price)]

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care met the Secretary of State for Education in February to discuss concerns about mental health and the prevalence of self-harm among young people. “The NHS Long Term Plan” states that we will

“extend current service models to create a comprehensive offer for 0-25 year olds”,

and I expect to have regular dialogue with our counterparts in the Department for Education to make that a reality.

[Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)]

The all-party parliamentary university group has heard consistent evidence about the rising number of students presenting with mental health problems. We have been told that it has increased sixfold in the last 10 years, from 9,675 to 57,000. That poses huge challenges to what used to be counselling services but are now becoming a mainstream part of health provision, funded by universities. What are the Government going to do about it?

[Jackie Doyle-Price]

Young people often fall out of care when they leave their home addresses to go to university. To deal with that transition, we extended the service to nought to 25-year-olds through the forward plan rather than cutting it off at adulthood. That will ensure that we can do more to achieve continuity of care.

I pay tribute to the efforts that universities have made. They have seized on the challenge posed by the increasing prevalence of mental health problems, and I will continue my dialogue with them.